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DON'T believe the fake ads on Facebook |
Martin's Mini Mortgage Masterclass: Are you overpaying by £1,000s? It's most people's biggest bill, so if you languish on a crap deal it's your biggest waste. While Brexit uncertainty looms large, mortgage rates are still near all-time lows, so it's an opportune time to check if you can undercut your current deal. It's especially important if you're one of the 2m on a lender's standard variable rate (SVR), like Karen, who emailed: "I moved from an SVR to a fix. By keeping monthly payments the same, I knocked 9yrs off the term, saving £54,000. Thanks." Full info in my FREE Remortgage booklet, in brief...
For far more help, see our free REMORTGAGE help booklet and FIRST-TIME BUYERS' help booklet. |
Brexit: How it impacts mortgages, flights, your rights & more. The latest facts when there are facts & Martin's analysis when there aren't in our Brexit guide. Boots up to 70% clearance likely this week. Not confirmed, but our spies reckon it'll boost the current 50% off sale in the coming days. Full updates in Boots boost. News: Hope for mortgage prisoners as MSE campaign takes huge step forward. The regulator's agreed to consult on new rules to help allow 140,000 stuck on pricey mortgages to switch. See Mortgage hope. Should you leave the heating on all day? We try to find answers to this, and 16 other energy saving conundrums, to keep you warm as the temperature drops. See Energy Mythbusting. Top debt-shifting credit card: 32mths 0%, 1.4% fee and £25 cashback. A reminder that accepted new HSBC (eligibility calc / apply*) cardholders can shift debt to it from other cards at 32mths 0%, with a one-off 1.4% fee (min £5). Plus shift £300+ within 60 days to get £25 cashback - which is BIGGER than the fee if you shift under £1,800ish, so better than a no-fee card. Always pay at least the monthly min & clear the debt before the 0% ends or you pay 21.9% rep APR. Full info and options in Best Balance Transfers (APR Examples). Martin takes on Ryanair after flaccid response to name-change 'glitch' refunds. More than 250 people tell us they booked with Ryanair, but it then changed their names, with many charged to change 'em back. Martin's written on MSE's behalf to the airline, and has sent a dossier to the regulator. See Martin's 'flaccid Ryanair' letter. |
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Loan rates near ALL-TIME lows - from 2.8% If you've a major New Year purchase planned and you NEED to borrow (eg, your car's a wreck), now's a good time as the cheapest rates are only a whisker above the lowest-ever 2.7% rates we saw last year.
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1,000 FREE £15ish radiator heat reflector packs. Helps make up to four radiators more efficient. See how to bag free radiator reflectors (or get 20% off if you miss out). Freebies galore incl beer, tea/coffee & make-up. Via apps. 15 easy-to-claim January freebies. 425 summer-flowering bulbs £10 all-in (norm £30). MSE Blagged. To plant now, incl gladioli & allium. Thompson & Morgan Holland & Barrett 20% off EVERYTHING via code. MSE Blagged. Plus free del (norm £3). A healthy saving 'Veganuary' restaurant deals, eg, Frankie & Benny's 50% off, Pizza Hut 41%, Toby Carvery 33%. As scores of eateries serve up new vegan options, we've a round-up of top deals for all (whether vegan or not). Lettuce eat Self-assessment tax return deadline looms - sort it NOW. The deadline is 31 Jan, but if you're filing online for the first time your activation code can take 10 days, so don't delay. See our self-assessment Q&A. |
AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS
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Can you make £2,019 extra in 2019? This & more MSE Forum challenges The MSE Forum - with more than 1.8m members - includes a string of fantastic MoneySaving challenges that are great for tips, motivation and competition. Each one is started by users and at the turn of each year they reboot them with the latest info, as has just happened for 2019. So to help get your year off to a fiscally fantastic start, why not try one?
There are too many challenges to list here, so see the 2019 Challenges Index for the full rundown. |
MSE is hiring - we're looking for a Money Writer, Press Officer & User Support Executive. Based at MSE Towers in London. For these and more opportunities, see MSE jobs. It's back. 10,000 bonus Virgin Atlantic miles via its credit card. For new customers who spend £1k in 90 days on its fee-free card - enough points for a one-way trip to New York (but you pay taxes, which can be £100-£200). Full analysis & options in Airline Credit Cards. £990 SMI COUNCIL TAX REBATE - SUCCESS OF THE WEEK "Thank you Martin. Earlier this year I heard you talk about the SMI reduction in council tax. I eventually received a £990 rebate for my elderly father who has dementia." (Send us yours on this or any topic.) Want an MSE Charity grant? Our charity's offering up to £7,500 each to organisations that aim to teach practical money and budgeting skills. Its latest grant-giving round - themed on 'raising the next generation' - opens for applications on 4 Feb. It's for projects that help children, young people and families - you can apply via its website and take a quiz to check if your organisation's eligible. |
THIS WEEK'S POLL What is it appropriate to borrow for? When is it right or wrong? Are some things more acceptable than others, where is the line between flippant purchases and core needs, or is it more about long-term investment in your home or happiness? What is it appropriate to borrow for? Those who cut back at Christmas still mostly enjoyed it. In light of Martin's recent viral video about banning unnecessary Xmas gifts, last week we asked if you cut back on Christmas this year - and if so, how you found it. Encouragingly, over half of the 3,600 respondents spent less, with the vast majority reporting their festive experience was 'as good as normal' or 'improved'. Parents with school-age children were most likely to have cut back. See full poll results. |
MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I go back and pay for my train ticket? When catching a train there was no time for me to buy a ticket. The lady at the station said not to worry, I could buy one at my destination. However, when I arrived, the ticket office was closed, so I left without paying. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I go back and pay for my train ticket? | Suggest an MMD | View past MMDs THE QUICKIES - Debt-Free Wannabe chat of the week: What small DFW things will you do this week? |
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MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 16 JAN ONWARDS) Thu 17 Jan - Good Morning Britain - Deals of the Week, ITV, 7.40am MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (MOST SUBJECTS TBC) Wed 16 Jan - BBC Radio Cumbria, Money Talks with Ben Maeder, from 6pm |
QUESTION OF THE WEEK Q: Can I put my savings into my young daughter's high-interest savings account to boost returns? Karen, via email. MSE Rosie's A: You can indeed, but it's morally questionable, as if everyone did it the rate would likely be pulled, hitting attempts to encourage kids to save. There are a couple of things you also need to be aware of. Firstly, if you save your money in your child's name it'll belong to them, not you - so you might want to think carefully before doing so. Secondly, any money you (as a parent) give your child that earns over £100 in interest a year will be taxed at your income tax rate. However, since the introduction of the personal savings allowance (meaning basic-rate taxpayers can earn £1,000 of interest a year without paying tax on it) this isn't a factor for most. If you do want to go for it, see Children's Savings for all the top accounts, including a 4.5% regular saver. Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails). |
HOW MONEYSAVER EMMA CLEARED £24,000 IN DEBT... WHILE BEING A FULL-TIME CARER That's it for this week, but before we go.. the Martin Lewis Money Show this week featured the inspirational story of forumite please-let-me-be-lucky. In 2011 a motorcycle accident tragically left her husband with a severe brain injury - and at the time, they owed nearly £24,000 on credit cards. Thanks to her incredible perseverance, all while being a full-time carer, they're now debt-free. Read her diary telling the story of her amazing achievement in the forum thread Three choices - give up, give in or give all you've got. We hope you save some money, |
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